Nissan CEO Talks New Cars, Sales Expectations

By any account, Nissan had a good year. Despite challenges in Asia and weakening consumer confidence in debt-ridden Europe, the Japanese automaker outpaced analysts' expectations for profits over the first half of its fiscal year, which ended last September. By year's end, Nissan's U.S. sales, including its Infiniti luxury division, improved 15%. Toyota and Honda ended 2011 with sales down 7% apiece, but they were greatly impacted by last year's tsunami in Japan, leading to far less dealership inventory than Nissan.

Ask CEO Carlos Ghosn to characterize Nissan's smooth sailing, and he tempers expectations: "If people are not upbeat, it's good," he said. "The company is moving into the right direction, even [though] there are a lot of headwinds."

Ghosn, 57, has been Nissan's chief executive since June 2001; he also oversees French automaker Renault, which has been allied with Nissan since 1999. He discussed Nissan's outlook for 2012 during this month's Detroit auto show, as well as at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit the same week.

Major products like the Altima and Sentra — Nissan's first and third best-sellers in 2011, respectively — are set for redesigns this year. Both cars have been in their current guise since late 2006, and both are part of a global barrage that will include a new product every six weeks on average through 2016, Ghosn said.

Recall Alert: 2010-11 Nissan Sentra

Nissan is recalling 33,803 Sentras from the 2010 and 2011 model years because the vehicle may stall while it is moving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected cars, which have MR20 engines, the zinc coating on the terminal stud may be too thick. As a result, certain cars may experience a drop in voltage that would make starting difficult. This issue could damage the engine control module and cause the engine to stall while the car is moving, and the driver may not be able to restart the engine after it is stopped.

Nissan will start notifying owners on or before Jan. 23. Dealers will replace the positive battery terminal and cover for free. Owners can call Nissan at 800-647-7261 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

2012 Nissan Lineup: Ch-Ch-Changes

For the 2012 model year, Nissan will refresh the Maxima, add a Special Edition Package to the Rogue and increase the standard features on the Leaf. The automaker released the planned model-year changes for its lineup this week.

Nissan also plans to continue to sell the old Versa hatchback alongside the completely redesigned Versa sedan, which was first shown at the 2011 New York International Auto Show.

Continue reading below for more detailed information.

Breaking Down Nissan's Year End Sales Event

Nissan has traditionally given bigger discounts than its more frugal Japanese cousins — Toyota and Honda — and for December, that yuletide tradition continues.

Nissan is offering a wide array of hefty cash-back and low-financing options across its entire lineup, barring new entries like the Juke or the GT-R sports car. Relatively inexpensive models like the Versa have up to $2,000 cash back. The relatively new but slow-selling Cube also gets $500 cash back. The Altima Hybrid, which is sold in limited markets, has up to $4,000 cash back on it, depending on the region.

Unlike some brands, which are nearly done with the switch to the 2011 model year, nearly 40% of Nissan’s inventory is from the 2010 model year, so these 2010 deals should be somewhat easy to come by.

All highlighted models have 0% to 3.9% financing for 60 to 72 months, depending on the model. Most of these deals are good until Jan. 3.

If you’re looking for a lease deal, you may be somewhat disappointed. We could find only three models – the Altima, Rouge and Sentra – that have subvented leasing plans, and all three require largish money-down agreements.

For more detailed info, continue reading below.

Unregulated Truck, SUV Bumpers Cost Car Drivers

Out of all the types of collisions you can get into, a small fender bender is probably the most minor. That’s most likely true in relation to your health, but not to your wallet, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's latest testing.

The organization tested seven pairs of 2010-11 models, pairing a compact car against a compact SUV and collided them into each other at 10 mph. The results showed that collisions where bumpers are supposed to be preventing extensive damage are costing thousands of dollars to repair.

IIHS points out that SUV bumpers often don’t align with those of a passenger car – even when both vehicles are made by the same automaker.

Recall Alert: Nissan Frontier, Xterra, Sentra

Nissan has announced a voluntary safety recall to replace the lower steering column joint and shaft on 2002-04 Frontier and Xterra vehicles and to replace the positive battery cable terminal on 2010 Sentra vehicles in the U.S.

In the affected Frontier and Xterra vehicles, Nissan discovered that corrosion can develop over time on the lower steering column joint, eventually limiting steering movement. In extreme cases, the corrosion can lead to cracking of the steering shaft, resulting in a loss of a control of the vehicle and increasing the likelihood of a crash. In the affected Sentra models, there can be potential issues with the connector on the positive battery cable terminal, resulting in starting difficulties. In some rare cases, the vehicle could stall at low speeds and cause an accident.

No accidents or injuries have been reported with either issue. Overall, 240,000 Frontier vehicles, 261,000 Xterra vehicles and 14,000 Sentra vehicles are included in the recall for the U.S.

Nissan plans to notify owners in early December once replacement parts are made available. The repairs will take place at Nissan dealerships at no charge. For more information, customers can call Nissan’s hot line at 800-647-7261.

Cars.com Podcast: 2010 Lexus GX 460, 2010 Nissan Sentra, 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan

Speaking of 2010 models, this week’s podcast features three 2010s, and perhaps after you take a listen you’ll want to see if there are any Labor Day deals on them. Or maybe you won’t. Listen to editors Mike Hanley, Kelsey Mays and David Thomas offer their unvarnished impressions.

You can download the podcast now via iTunes here or get an MP3 version here.

We’ve also fixed a glitch that prevented downloading via iTunes on your iPhone.

2010|Lexus|GX 460

2010|Nissan|Sentra

2010|Dodge|Grand Caravan

2011 Nissan Maxima, Sentra Get Minor Price Bump, Upgrades

For 2011, the Nissan Maxima and Sentra get modest price bumps and minor trim realignments, which we detail below. The two are on sale now. 

The 2011 Maxima starts at $30,810, which is $120 more than last year’s Maxima. The base model’s amenities include a power moonroof, push-button start, Bluetooth connectivity and automatic climate control. The 3.5 SV — which includes fog lights, Bose stereo, satellite radio and leather seats — starts at $33,530, a $120 price bump from the 2010 model. 

The only revisions to the model seem to be on the 3.5 SV with Sport Package, which now has a darkened chrome grille, smoked headlights and unique interior appointments that give the trim a sportier look. The 3.5 SV with Sport Package starts at $35,610, a $170 jump from last year’s trim. Destination charge on the Maxima is $750 on all trims. 

The 2011 Sentra gets upgraded safety systems. Antilock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, traction control and electronic stability control are now standard on all trims. Besides that, not much changes. Read on for a breakdown of each Sentra trim and the price increase from 2010. Models that received upgrades see minor price bumps; SE-R and SE-R Spec V pricing remains the same. Destination is an additional $750 on all Sentra trims. 

Cars.com Reviews the 2010 Nissan Sentra

The 2010 Nissan Sentra is the proverbial also-ran of the compact car segment. The model isn’t as popular as the Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic, yet the Sentra outdoes both cars in many respects, according to Cars.com editor Mike Hanley. The model offers distinctive ride quality, good acceleration and affordable packaging compared to its competitors, but is that enough to offset the Sentra’s subpar fuel economy rating? Read the full review to find out how the Sentra stacks up. 

2010 Nissan Sentra Review

2010|Nissan|Sentra

Cars.comparison: Which Fuel Sipper is Best?

 

Bigger isn’t always better as the 2010 Honda Civic, 2010 Nissan Sentra and 2010 Toyota Corolla prove in the latest Cars.comparison. 

 These three fuel sippers all get 34 mpg or more on the highway with an automatic transmission, but which car will be declared the best of the fuel-sipping batch? Check out the latest Cars.comparison to see which one of the three worthy competitors takes the top prize.

Cars.comparison: Fuel Sippers